Sunday, December 23, 2012

Empowered citizenry means ‘The End of Days for Umno’ – Sakmongkol AK47

Empowered citizenry means ‘The End of Days for Umno’ – Sakmongkol AK47

December 22, 2012

Malaysian Insider--Side Views

DEC 22 – I have to repeat some of the issues and themes that I
have done in the past. Most Malays are at the stage where issues such as
corruption, abuse of power, the rottenness of the system that UMNO
upholds feature less in importance than the overriding issue – will
Malays be all right?

They know the government is bad, deceiving, incompetent, and
dishonest – but rationalize it anyway by saying, if others take over,
they will do the same. No, it will never be the same, because last time
UMNO did all the evils when people are less empowered. Any government
straying from the straight path now will be neutralized by an empowered
citizenry. That is why UMNO is finding it hard to earn legitimacy at the
moment.

So, it does what rogues do – take refuge behind xenophobic and
prejudiced worldviews. Suddenly, once again, everything seems to be
measured in terms of them doing something to us. Chinese taking over the
government from us Malays; Chinese dominating the economy and
marginalizing us which is in fact the order of things since UMNO ruled
this country. Non-Malays taking over this country and establishing a new
national religion replacing Islam; non-Malays especially Chinese taking over and kicking out our Malay rulers.

Even the educated ones fall prey to the xenophobic fears created by a
parasitic band of people, bent on staying in power at all costs. Why?
Because if they lose, it will the end of days for them – life as they
know it – a life founded on corruption, deception and leeching on the
majority, will end.

Of course the issues that affect all of us are also important, but to
Malays right now, nothing is more important than worrying about their
survival and of things dear to them such as race, religion, rulers
(occupying a very distant third).

It is a sign of acute mental bondage and subservience of the spirit,
if after 55 years of independence; Malays are frightened into believing
that their very life depends on UMNO. This kind of xenophobic view
allows smooth operators like Reezal Merican (himself of dubious Malay
lineage) to claim, God has chosen UMNO to protect Malays.

Can God ever condone the deceit, corruption, the pillage and plunder
of the nation’s wealth and incompetence? It’s the same xenophobia that
allowed, years earlier, a Malay leader of similar stock as Reezal
Merican and an UMNO president to blasphemously state that if God has nor
revealed Islam through Muhammad, God would have done it anyway through
someone else.

Today, Malay Muslim scholars are tripping over each other to study
the thoughts of Mao Tse Mahathir. Could it be, that someone else alluded
by Mahathir is UMNO, because it was with this kind of pomposity , the
same Reezal Merican was able to say, UMNO has received wahyu from God.

The survival of the Malays has got nothing to do with UMNO. If it
does, then Malays in Selangor, in Kelantan, in Penang and in Kedah would
no longer exist because in those states UMNO is the opposition party.

Not that these are not important issues, but the basic fear of the
Malays must be excised permanently. By the overriding issue being all
right I mean will their interests – couched in terms of religion, race
and country remain protected? These are the things most dear to the
Malays – educated or less so.

So I must continue to write about this issue to allay the fears of
the Malays. For 55 years they have been frightened into believing that
without UMNO, their lives mean nothing. Educated Malays must play a role
ridding such irrational thinking from the minds of the majority Malays.

In a modern democracy, citizens get protection from the rule of law
and from legal rights. For instance, the position and whatever benefits
meant for Malays are protected by the Agong as provided for by the
constitution. The Agong does not cease to exist, if UMNO is not the
government. The incoming government still has to uphold the constitution
and by extension, the provisions therein.

The laws of the land are the means by which society protect itself.
Everyone can be safe and secure, not only Malays with a good government
upholding democracy and the rule of law. UMNO is not the
protector. The rights of Malays and of all citizens are independent
of UMNO which is just a fading political party. –
sakmongkol.blogspot.com